We were using wood shavings for fuel. No matches. No lighter. No hot smoker.

Patent pending by a young 1st yr beek couple that I have been helping get started.

You have to try this. They will be trying to market these through some distributer this winter.

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"Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch toward uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one-half the world fools and the other half hypocrites."--Thomas Jefferson

"It teaches us that, as we come into the world rational and intelligent beings, so we should ever be industrious ones; never sitting down contented while our fellow-creatures around us are in want, when it is in our power to relieve them without inconvenience to ourselves." - Freemasonry on the Beehive

BoBn, tell us more.....have that great, most beautiful day, that great health too. Cindi

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There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold. The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold. The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee. Robert Service

Not trying to dampen the enthusiasm, but the Younger smoker was a great technological advancement in smokers as well. But priced 10x of a normal smoker really hampered sales. It might be hard to get folks to buy a wiz bang hi tech smoker if the price doesn't compare well with the ordinary trusty old design that works well for people. Hopefully they have considered this in their business model.

What happens when your in an outyard and the thing breaks or the batteries die?

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"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison

I have to admit, pics, specs, and a price estimate would be fantastic!

I'm all for a better design, but only to a certain cost. Above that and I can't afford it, even if I would like it.

It would also be great for me to know some older beeks are behind this design. While I have nothing against 1st year beek designers, something tells me the design might loose some fundamental quality that's needed.

"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may remember,involve me and I'll understand" Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways." John F. KennedyFranklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Haha, good point. My current smoker does get my Pyro qualities out of my system. Without it, it's likely to build up and I'll set fire to the yard . . . or maybe the neighbor's yard . . . a little bit safer for me.

The prototype that I tried looked like a regular smoker with the bellows removed and in place of the bellows was handle similar to a cordless drill. The whole unit was about the same size as a regular smoker.

They are still doing the finishing touches of the design. The final design for production is supposed to be finished around the end of this month. They are in the process of setting up a web page for this smoker.

I'll do my best to post a picture /and/or links when they have this set up.

Quote from: bee-z-smoker

We intend to show this for the first public viewing at the ABF conferenceand tradeshow down in Florida January 12 -16, 2010.

Self contained “power tool” 18 volt battery with charger includedVery light and comfortable to useErgonomically engineered specifically for women and older children, but larger hands fit just fineNo lighting of firesSimilar weight as “older generation bellow unit” and balanced for comfortVery little to no heat on the can, just natural cool bee smoke made from easy to find wood shavings.30 second Three step process,1. Hold trigger until you see smoke,2. press fan button for smoke,3. repeat as needed (takes less than 30 seconds for entire process, including smoking the hive)

I was impressed with how fast this thing could start and stop.

I'm still using an old W.T.Kelly "smoke cloud" from the 1970s. I have patched it with tin cans where the bottom and lower sides have rusted out. I have replaced the electrical tape patches on the bellows a couple times. Just about the time my smoker really gets going is when I am done using it.

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"Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch toward uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one-half the world fools and the other half hypocrites."--Thomas Jefferson

If they invent something that will actually burn wood pellets, lemme know. For the life if me, I can't get them to work in my smoker. Have to stick with pine straw.

Wood pellets are all that I use. I have a Rauchboy which has the insert that allows air to flow around the burning embers. I believe they claim 12 hours on a fill. I've never completely filled mine, but do get 5-6 hours easily on a light when doing cut-outs.

I would not recommend the Rauchboy though. It is a dome top smoker with very little lip and overhang. The top is easily dislodged or even pops when you first light it and get good fire going. Instead, get a good cone top smoker (Dandant, Kelley, etc) and find a tin can that fits and drill it full of holes. You can see a good example on MB site. -> http://bushfarms.com/beesmisc.htm#smokerinsert

The tin can won't last as long as the Rauchboy stainless steel insert (which I know use in a Dadant), but you should easily get a few years out of it, and the price is right.....

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"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison